Matt Kinnison
Mr. Claxton
101 English Composition
November 15, 2018
The Effect of Cannabidiol on Epilepsy
The term “Marijuana” almost always has a negative stigma, a stigma that makes most picture a twenty-five year old Pizza Hut delivery boy who still lives in his parent´s basement or a teenager who feels the need to rebel. However, in recent years it has been discovered that Marijuana can be used medically to treat terrible diseases or mental disorders such as epilepsy, post traumatic stress disorder, and even schizophrenia. Marijuana contains tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC, which is the main component that most recreational users are after because it’s the component that gives the “high”, making it the most addictive chemical. What many people tend to forget, however, is that there are almost four hundred chemical components other than THC that can be extracted from the marijuana plant and used for medical purposes. The chemical most often used in pharmaceutical matters is Cannabidiol, or CBD for short. CBD is most sought after by medical professionals for its pain relieving qualities on the more physical aspect, and its anti-convulsant (lowers risk of seizures) qualities for disorders like epilepsy.
As defined by Mayo Clinic, epilepsy is “a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of awareness.” Epilepsy can be hereditary or caused by an outside source such as a traumatic brain injury (Mayo Clinic). It can even occur from contracting an infection, known as cysticercosis, which can occur in those who don’t wash their hands or practice proper hygiene (Epilepsy Foundation). Epilepsy can be very detrimental to a human life. Those who have the disorder have to be hesitant of every step they take. Epilepsy can make it very difficult to do what could be considered normal every day activities like taking out the trash, going to the grocery store, or even taking a bath. It can be unsafe for a person with the disorder to even bathe without help, due to the fact that they could start to seize at any moment, causing them to drown. It is nearly impossible for a person with epilepsy to drive a motor vehicle because they could have a seizure or lose consciousness and cause an accident. The most severe patients require someone by their side everywhere they go, someone to hold them up if they fall or to assist them in everyday tasks. Epilepsy is most commonly treated with one or multiple anticonvulsants, which help to suppress the rapid firing of neurons in the brain during seizures. The main problems with these drugs, however, is the number of side effects that they create. These side effects, according to CBD International, include “major headaches, nausea, loss of hair, liver failure, depression, double vision, weight gain, slurring of speech, irritability, sleep disturbances, sedations, impotence, and mood disturbances.” Because of these effects, scientists started researching alternative solutions.
CBD has the same anti-convulsant effects as many other common seizure medications, but with far fewer side effects. According to CBD International, cannabidiol´s few side effects usually consist of “tiredness, diarrhea, and change of appetite or weight.” In an online study by Epilepsy Action Australia, it was found that over eighty-five percent of parents with children who have epilepsy and had been given a concentrated dose of CBD, stated that their child’s number of seizures had reduced, and fourteen percent even stated that their child’s seizures had completely stopped (Suraev). In a different study by the same group, it was found that ninety percent of adults who had taken CBD for epilepsy stated that their number of seizures per day had reduced due to the drug (Suraev). Both of these studies were done on patients who had only taken CBD for relief, not any other common anticonvulsants on top of the CBD. However, it was obvious that the CBD had still affected the majority of the patients in a positive way.
In a completely different study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine, one hundred and twenty patients with an established diagnosis of Dravet Syndrome (a type of epilepsy most commonly found in children) were studied. All of the patients observed in this study reported that they had at least one convulsive seizure a week, and were already taking anti-seizure medication (New England Journal of Medicine). In this study, half of the patients were given a pure CBD extract pill, and half were given a placebo containing no CBD. At the end of the 12 week examination, the average number of seizures per week had dropped from 12.4 to 5.9 in the group that had been given the cannabidiol pill, and from 14.9 to 14.1 in the placebo group (New England Journal of Medicine). While the use of CBD didn’t completely stop the seizures, It was obvious that it had substantially affected the users in a positive way.
One common concern from consumers and physicians alike is “What dosage of CBD is most effective?” This question was answered in yet another study by the New England Journal of Medicine, in which two-hundred and twenty-five patients ranging from two to fifty-five years old were examined over a fourteen week period. Similar to the last study, the patients examined all claimed to have at least two seizures a week, and had already been taking other anticonvulsants (New England Journal of Medicine). The large group was split into three even groups – one to be given twenty milligrams of CBD, one to be given ten milligrams, and one to be given a placebo, all of which were given twice daily. After the fourteen week study was complete, the number of seizures had decreased by 41.9% in the twenty milligram group, 37.2% in the ten milligram group, and 17.2% in the placebo group (New England Journal of Medicine). As shown through the results of the study, CBD can be more effective in stopping seizures if given in higher doses.
The negative effects epilepsy can have on ones life are mentally demeaning. For this fact alone, scientists and organizations are always trying to find new ways to dull the symptoms. As shown in the multiple studies mentioned above, it has become quite apparent that CBD has nothing but positive effects on those with epilepsy. With medical marijuana becoming legalized in multiple states across the U.S., it is only becoming easier and easier to study it and its components effects on the human body. Cannabidiol has only just begun to be researched, but its positive effects are already plentiful. With this in mind, many other studies and experiments will be done, and it will only get better for those with epilepsy. While CBD may be far from a cure, it is most definitely the closest we’ve come to one.
Works Cited
"Effect of Cannabidiol on Drop Seizures in the Lennox–Gastaut Syndrome | NEJM." New England Journal of Medicine. Web. 20 Nov. 2018.
"Epilepsy." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 Nov. 2018. Web. 20 Nov. 2018.
"How Does CBD Help Epileptic Seizures?" CBD International. 15 Oct. 2018. Web. 20 Nov. 2018.
“Neurocysticercosis.” Epilepsy Foundation, 1 Mar. 2004, www.epilepsy.com/learn/professionals/co-existing-disorders/infectious-states-seizures/helminthic-parasitic-5.
Perucca, Emilio. “Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Epilepsy: Hard Evidence at Last?” Korean Epilepsy Society, 31 Dec. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govlpmc/articles/PMC5767492/.
"State Marijuana Laws in 2018 Map." Governing Magazine: State and Local Government News for America's Leaders. Governing. Web. 20 Nov. 2018.
Suraev, A. S., L. Todd, M. T. Bowen, D. J. Allsop, I. S. McGregor, C. Ireland, and N. Lintzeris. "An Australian Nationwide Survey on Medicinal Cannabis Use for Epilepsy: History of Antiepileptic Drug Treatment Predicts Medicinal Cannabis Use." Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 2017. Web. 20 Nov. 2018.